Room
by Ashi Altair
Summary: Rukia takes Ichigo to her room in the Kuchiki Manor. Not lemon. Not sweet. Not cheesy. Not your normal IchiRuki.
1. Room

This is written as a workshop text for my creative writing class.

**Disclaimer: Kubo-sensei owns everything related to Bleach.**

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* * *

ROOM**

For the past few days, Rukia has been acting strangely. I would usually find her spacing out on the streets in front of the 13th squad barracks. If not doing so, she would be drawing crappier Chappy drawings when she's in my room. At first, I tried not to distract her from her reverie. But, as it got worse every day, I wasn't able to contain it anymore. I need to do something or I'm going crazy.

"Hey, Rukia," I called. She shot her head up and looked at me. Apparently, she just went back to reality. "Do you have a minute?"

She eyed me warily. "What is it?"

I scratched my head and removed my gaze from her eyes. I don't know how I should ask her about her weirdness. "I… have a few questions."

Something flickered in her eyes before she answered, but I let it pass for now. "Fine. Let's go home."

Rukia walked past me. "Wait, that's not where the Senkai gate is," I said.

"I know," she said. "We're going to the Kuchiki Manor."

"Ah."

I actually didn't know how to respond properly. It's weird to refer the Kuchiki Manor as 'home'. The mansion gives off a cold feeling and the people are too stiff. It feels more like an office—the main building for the 6th squad, wherein the captain is Kuchiki Byakuya, Rukia's adoptive brother.

When we arrived in front of the mansion, Rukia took a deep breath and looked at me with inquiring eyes before going in. I followed her without asking about what that look meant. I would ask her later. For now, I'll just wait and see what she'd do. After opening a couple of doors, Rukia stopped walking and looked at me.

"You're going to ask about why I act weird, right?" she said.

"Uh, yeah."

"Well… This is it." She gestured to the large room behind her. Maybe I looked confused because she added, "This is what makes me… weird these past few days."

"This room?"

"My room."

Rukia opened the door and showed the way in. Again, I'm not sure what my face looked like because Rukia smiled, although it was a weak and detached one. The room was _big._ My closet—or even our house—is nothing when compared to this. "It's too big. You call this a room?"

"Follow me," she said, dismissing my comment. "I'll… show you something."

"Ok."

Rukia opened a drawer from a huge cabinet. I followed her and saw Chappy drawings on the floor on one corner of the room. I smiled. Indeed, this is Rukia's room… within the Kuchiki Manor.

"Ichigo," she called.

"Hm?"

She handed me a picture frame wrapped with white cloth. Curiously, I took it while watching her troubled face. "What's this?"

"It's a photograph, stupid."

I was about to argue with her but then decided to shut up. This is hard for her—whatever it is; I can see it. I sighed. I removed the cloth and saw Rukia, less the stress of the war at hand, and a man who looks like I do—just with a different hair color, on the picture. Rukia wasn't looking at me, and I think I know what it means.

"Well?" I asked.

"That's… _Shiba_ _Kaien-dono_," she said. "The late vice-captain of the 13th squad."

And with that tone of voice and the look on her face, there's only one meaning to it.

"Ah."

She looked at me and said, "I'm sorry."

There were too many emotions on her eyes that I couldn't do anything but to pat her head. "Don't worry about it, okay? Besides, I don't really care what your reason was." I tried to laugh to make her feel better but I think I failed. "Really, Rukia…" It's hopeless. I shouldn't have brought this up.

* * *

This is an IchiRuki fan fiction. I have no doubts about that. If it doesn't appear so, look out for the sequel.

Also, this is just the first version. The edited version will be coming out someday as the second chapter for this story.

Please review. I would love to read reviews about the story but constructive criticism on the writing technique is so much wanted.

**The revised version would be published here in after I pass it to my professor maybe sometime before April.**


	2. Room revised edition

Uhm, hey... Long time no see...

This is the revised version.

I hope I didn't ruin it.

* * *

**ROOM**

Despite the injuries she got from Aizen's betrayal, Rukia still insisted on going alone to visit Rokungai. I tried to convince her to let me accompany her. I let her go, knowing how hard-headed she is.

But, ever since Rukia came back, she has been acting strangely. At first, I tried not to distract her from her reverie. But as the spacing out and the crappy drawings got worse everyday, I wasn't able to contain it anymore. I need to do something or I'm going crazy.

"Hey, Rukia," I called. She shot her head up and looked at me. Apparently, she just went back to reality. "Do you have a minute?"

She eyed me warily. "What is it?"

I scratched my head and removed my gaze from her eyes. I don't know how I should ask her about her weirdness. "I… have a few questions."

Something flickered in her eyes before she answered, but I let it pass for now. "Fine. Let's go home."

Rukia walked past me. "Wait, that's not where the Senkai gate is," I said.

"I know," she said. "We're going to the Kuchiki Manor."

"Ah."

I actually didn't know how to respond properly. It's weird to refer the Kuchiki Manor as 'home'. The mansion gives off a cold feeling and the people are too stiff. It feels more like an office—the main building for the 6th squad, wherein the captain is Kuchiki Byakuya, Rukia's adoptive brother.

When we arrived in front of the mansion, Rukia took a deep breath and looked at me with inquiring eyes before going in. I followed her without asking about what that look meant. I would ask her later. After opening a couple of doors, Rukia stopped walking and looked at me.

"This is about why I'm acting strange, right?" she said.

"Uh, yeah."

"Well… This is it." She gestured to the large room behind her. Maybe I looked confused because she added, "This is what makes me… weird these past few days."

"This room?"

"My room."

Rukia opened the door and showed the way in. Again, I'm not sure what my face looked like because Rukia smiled, although it was a weak and detached one. The room was _big._ Her room in our house—my closet, or even our house itself, is nothing when compared to this. "It's too big. You call this a room?"

"Follow me," she said, dismissing my comment. "I'll… show you something."

"Ok."

Rukia opened a drawer from a huge cabinet. I followed her and saw Chappy drawings on the floor on one corner of the room. I smiled. Indeed, this is Rukia's room… within the Kuchiki Manor.

"Ichigo," she called.

"Hm?"

She handed me a picture frame wrapped with white cloth. Curiously, I took it while watching her troubled face. "What's this?"

"It's a photograph, stupid."

I was about to argue with her but then decided to shut up. This is hard for her—whatever it is; I can see it. I sighed. I removed the cloth and saw Rukia, less the stress of the war at hand, and a man who looks like I do—just with a different hair color, on the picture.

"That's… _Shiba_ _Kaien-dono_," she said. "The late vice-captain of the 13th squad."

"Ah."

So this is what Byakuya was talking about that night.

"_This boy resembles him, a lot," he told her._

That night… when he took Rukia away…

I see. So this is what it feels when you find out you're… not the main reason. It's somebody else—somebody far more important than me. In our case, it's this Shiba Kaien.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, while trying to avoid my eyes. "It's just that—."

"Don't worry about it," I said, not wanting to hear what she would say next.

"But, Ichigo," she protested.

"That's enough." I gave her back the picture and patted her head. "See 'ya."

That's when I went out. _Damn it, I'm such a coward_

_

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_So... How was it?

Uhh... *wipes sweat*

Please be kind and don't flame...

REVIEWS ARE SO MUCH WANTED! :D


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